a podcast called “The Art of Enlightenment” with Pamela Winfield

Dr. Pamela Winfield and Shingon teacher Hokai Sobol join host Vincent Horn to discuss her book Icons and Iconoclasm in Japanese Buddhism: Kukai and Dogen on the Art of Enlightenment.

By examining two different models of enlightenment–one from the founder of Shingon Buddhism, Kūkai (Kōbō-Daishi), and the other from the pivotal Zen figure, Dōgen Zenji, the group explores the role that art & imagery play in the awakening experience. The conversation touches on how studies of texts and iconography can be complementary and how understanding the use of iconography can help scholars and practitioners understand Buddhist paths of Enlightenment in a clearer way.